


Made at Home

by Kalira



Series: Pack Love [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Caretaking, Cuddling & Snuggling, Discord: Umino Hours, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Umino Iruka, Omega Verse, Tea, Teen Hatake Kakashi, Umino Hours Winter Bingo, Umino Hours Winter Bingo 2020-2021
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28972200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira
Summary: Iruka isn't the only one that could use a little looking after from time to time . . . and Iruka is growing to feel just comfortable enough in their nascent bond to try and provide that for Kakashi in return.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Umino Iruka
Series: Pack Love [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2099499
Comments: 7
Kudos: 96
Collections: Kalira's Iruka Winter Bingo Stories (2020-2021), The Umino Hours Winter Bingo 2020





	Made at Home

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the space 'Making Hot Tea' on my [Iruka Winter Bingo](https://kalira.dreamwidth.org/33520.html) card!
> 
> . . .the tea-making was admittedly more prominent in my notes for this story than it turned out to be in the finished story.

Kakashi put a hand to his side, up beneath his armour. The bandage was snug and maybe a little dirty, but was doing its job. He’d replace it after he washed up, before he slept.

He didn’t lie to himself that he was going straight home, though, winding slowly through the outskirts of the village. Nose twitching, he turned aside before the orphanage actually came into sight, following the crisp sweetness of a familiar scent . . . tinged with a sharper tang, the blend sparking a warm thrum in his chest.

Kakashi leaned against a tree, watching Iruka, wrapped in his coat, though it hung open. He was perched atop a fallen tree, and Kakashi couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the two other kids near him were laughing and clapping, eyes fixed on his smiling face.

Kakashi gave himself a little while to watch, then slipped away, shaking his head. Iruka was happy, and he hadn’t intended to disturb Iruka, only to . . . see him. See that he was all right.

See that the one part of Kakashi’s life that was entirely apart from his duties and his skill at dealing death and slipping by unseen was still safe.

“Kakashi!”

Kakashi twitched, turning and finding Iruka pelting towards him. “Iruka!” He dipped his head in greeting. He glanced past Iruka, but he was alone.

Iruka’s fingers crept up over Kakashi’s arm, and he tilted his head, rumbling invitingly. Iruka smiled, hand slipping beneath Kakashi’s arm to wrap his own around it. Kakashi let him, relaxing a little, and drew Iruka along with him as he finally turned his steps towards home.

If Iruka needed the calm of being in his apartment, needed something from _him_ , Kakashi wasn’t so badly off that he couldn’t provide that. He would be happy for it, really, when. . . His thoughts turned bleak as he compared what he had been called out for to what he could - had - done for Iruka. He tightened his arm around Iruka’s a little, pulling him in, and Iruka gave a soft half-chirrup, rubbing his cheek against Kakashi’s shoulder briefly.

Kakashi focused on him instead as they walked, slow in deference more to his own exhaustion than Iruka at his side. Iruka smiled a little as they finally reached his building, and Kakashi reluctantly nudged Iruka away to precede him up the stairs.

“Here we are.” Kakashi nudged Iruka one step further inside, then closed the door, a stab of pain flaring outwards from the wound in his side as he moved. “I’ll get you- Iruka?” he questioned, startled, as Iruka’s fingers slid over his armoured vest.

“You need to get out of this.” Iruka said, scowling up at him. Kakashi remained still, and Iruka plucked at the edges of his armour, scowl deepening. He didn’t know where the clasps were, Kakashi realised belatedly, and winced as he guided Iruka’s hands to the right places, letting him help get them off.

Iruka’s nimble fingers had the battered armour off quickly enough, and Kakashi brushed his hands away to lift it off over his head, where Iruka couldn’t exactly reach.

“How bad is this?” Iruka asked, resting a hand over the bandage on his side, and Kakashi shrugged. “Kakashi. . .” He whined a little, eyes wide.

Kakashi tensed at the fretful sound of distress, smoothing a hand over Iruka’s shoulder and growling softly. “It’s not bad.” he promised. “It’s all seen to, just needs time to heal.”

Iruka hummed, fingers feathering over the edge of the bandage, then caught at Kakashi’s shirt, smoothing it out with a gentle touch, covering his bandaged side once more before tugging him across the apartment. Kakashi went willingly, settling on his bed as Iruka nudged at him, groaning quietly.

Iruka tsked, and Kakashi shivered at the gentle touch over his hair, a fleeting not-quite-uncertain caress that ghosted down his neck before Iruka pulled away. Kakashi sighed, slouching back against the wall and watching as Iruka went to his closet, rummaging in it confidently. Kakashi didn’t mind Iruka making himself at home in his den; it was comfortable having him here, a tightness in Kakashi’s chest eased.

Even more to have him so comfortable here, bustling around and pushing Kakashi easily.

He smiled faintly, drawing a deep breath and ignoring the throb in his wounded side. He wasn’t sure what Iruka was _doing_ in his closet, but-

Iruka stepped back with an armful of clean black fabric. Kakashi cocked his head. “Do you feel up to having a shower? You should clean up. Do you need-” he faltered, a hint of colour rising in his cheeks.

Kakashi hauled himself to his feet, groaning. “I can manage.” He shook his head, and Iruka hummed, hurrying into the bathroom and rattling around.

Kakashi followed more slowly, lingering in the doorway and watching as Iruka sorted out his clothes and set them on the counter, then opened the cabinets, eventually finding both towels and wash cloths, and then Kakashi’s extensive first aid kit, before closing them up again and starting the shower. He turned around, then jumped, stepping to one side hurriedly.

Kakashi stepped into the bathroom and Iruka rested a hand on his uninjured side. “Will you be all right?” Iruka asked, frowning, and Kakashi rumbled reassuringly, nudging him out the door. He closed it and Kakashi allowed himself a wince.

Stripping the rest of his uniform off was going to be unpleasant.

* * *

Iruka licked his lips, looking back at the closed bathroom door. He . . . he was just _helping_.

Kakashi was always doing things for him, not only the big things like bringing him home - _here_ \- in the cold, and feeding him, and- and wrapping him in the fur coat that was still tucked in Iruka’s bed at the orphanage, because Kakashi had pressed it upon him, and drawing him into a nest, the first time he had been welcomed into one since he lost his parents, but. . . But small things as well.

Iruka had only noticed more as time passed, even occasionally spotting Kakashi watching over him without even coming to speak with him. Sometimes Iruka went to him - like today - and sometimes he just . . . appreciated the warm feeling that came of knowing Kakashi was _there_.

. . .Iruka only wanted to be able to offer even a little of that in return. He hadn’t _thought_ about it, he had just wanted to see Kakashi, and then smelled the old blood and the unpleasant edge of stress and weariness in his generally clean, pleasant scent. Iruka hadn’t really stopped to _think_ as Kakashi pulled him close and they crossed the village on the way here, or when he immediately made himself practically at home rummaging through Kakashi’s belongings, pushing him to rest and to wash and to take _care_ of himself. Iruka had been _pushing around_ an alpha - a mature alpha who was also a jounin and- and Iruka had suspicions that he carried a second, porcelain mask as well. He _knew_ \- now, as he had not when Kakashi first stepped out of the swirling snow and into Iruka’s life - that Kakashi was incredibly skilled and dangerous, that he _frightened_ people.

And Iruka had stepped into his den and just started giving him _orders_.

Iruka frowned a little, shaking his head, and stepped away from the door. Well, Iruka could take care of him too, and he-

Maybe he needed it too, Iruka thought, and huffed a little as he smoothed out Kakashi’s bed, fluffing a pillow and finding a new blanket to replace the one that Kakashi had been sitting on. It smelled a little musty and had flakes of what might be mud or blood on it that must have fallen off Kakashi himself. Iruka dumped it on the floor to be washed and spread out a clean one, stroking the plush, soft fabric absently. Kakashi had _let_ Iruka push him, too, Iruka thought; had gone where he wanted and relaxed under his hands. . .

Iruka lingered there by Kakashi’s bed for a minute or two, lost in thought, hands still roaming over the clean blanket, before realising what he was doing and moving away, leaning against the fridge. There really wasn’t much space - or furniture, for that matter - in Kakashi’s tiny apartment, but somehow every time he led Iruka here, it still felt welcoming and cosy.

Iruka tapped his fingers on the counter, then firmed his jaw and turned his attention to the little kitchen. It was a little sparse, and there wasn’t a _lot_ Iruka could do anyway . . . but he filled the kettle and put it on to boil, setting up a mug with a strainer and fishing through tea tins, smelling the contents, until he found the faintly malty one with jasmine he had been looking for. It was what Kakashi had made that night he had tugged Iruka into his nest, though Iruka hadn’t liked it at all himself.

He had poured the water over the tea leaves and was just eying the bowl of fruit on the counter when he finally heard the bathroom door open.

He turned around and saw Kakashi was already over by the front door, hand out towards- His discarded armour.

“Don’t you dare!” Iruka snapped, pointing at him, and Kakashi froze, looking over at him. “Go get comfortable! You’re _hurt_ and you need rest and you need looking after.” He narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms.

Kakashi tilted his head, his hair falling further over his hitai-ate - it was somehow still a riotous mess even when it was wet and dripping - and slunk back over to his bed instead. Iruka sniffed, turning back to the counter.

“I thought you didn’t like tea.” Kakashi said, and Iruka glanced over at him. He was settling slowly onto the bed, fingers catching a fold of the new blanket and worrying it. He pulled it over his lap, both hands curling into the material.

“I don’t.” Iruka agreed, nose wrinkling. “But you do. Just . . . relax and let me do this for you.” He ducked his head.

Kakashi was silent for a long moment, and Iruka looked over at him. “Thank you.” Kakashi said softly, and Iruka swallowed a soft trill, biting his lip against a smile as he turned and started looking through drawers, swiftly finding a knife.

He kept an eye on the tea, but set to coring and slicing a couple of pears while it was brewing.

Though he moved stiffly and slowly, Kakashi shifted over a little when Iruka came to join him, mug of tea in one hand - he passed it to Kakashi - and bowl of pear slices in the other, with a fork caught in his palm against the ceramic. Iruka settled in beside Kakashi carefully, rubbing the back of his wrist down Kakashi’s arm in a thoughtlessly companionable gesture.

Kakashi slanted a warm look in his direction, and Iruka relaxed a little more, nudging up against him.

* * *

Kakashi tucked his legs up a little more as he watched Iruka tidy up in the small kitchenette, feeling as though he should he get up and do it himself. Iruka had pushed him to stay here, though; had first nudged him down onto the bed and then - Kakashi smothered a laugh - ordered him to it.

Kakashi sipped his tea and stayed put. His bed - and Kakashi himself - smelled like secure, contented omega, young as he was and as much as it was shaded with hesitancy. The scent and Iruka’s determined tending to him had settled him quicker than he would generally even dare to _hope_ after a rough mission, and left him feeling relaxed and easy in his skin.

After a few more minutes Iruka returned, smiling at Kakashi and climbing back onto the bed beside him, making little fussy noises that weren’t quite chiding as he fluttered around Kakashi. He sank sideways, towards the head of the bed, and Iruka patted his side, rearranging the pillows and shaking out the blanket, drawing it over Kakashi and nudging him again, a soft purr building in his throat. It wasn’t quite nesting . . . but it was close.

Kakashi’s eyelid drooped and he crooned quietly as he reached out, hand sliding over Iruka’s thigh.

Iruka’s purr thickened and he rearranged the blanket again, curling up to Kakashi’s side and winding it around them both this time. He stroked across Kakashi’s chest and stomach when he started to move, stilling him, though Iruka was careful not to go near his wounded side.

“You know,” Kakashi said, quiet and slow, shifting just enough to let him nuzzle Iruka’s cheek, “when you came with me, I thought _you_ needed something.”

Iruka laughed softly, patting Kakashi’s chest just beneath his collarbone.

“You would say if you did?” Kakashi asked, tipping his head up a little more.

“Only for you to let me help you.” Iruka said, kneeling up a little and resituating a pillow that was squashing between them. He looked a little awkward as he fidgeted with it between his hands.

Kakashi reached up, hand sliding over his arm, and tugged at Iruka, a reassuring growl catching in his throat.

Iruka smiled, pushing the pillow down into place and settling once more, propped against it this time and lying cosily against Kakashi’s side. He was warm and relaxed, purring steadily as he nestled his cheek carefully against Kakashi’s shoulder, and Kakashi sighed, bringing one hand up to cover Iruka’s on his chest as he closed his eye to rest.


End file.
